Hapless Read Online Free PDF Page A

of them turned around and held out his fist. “Right on, bro.”
    Micah bumped it, and Ty had a moment where he felt like Dorothy in Oz. It was no secret he had no interest in hockey despite Micah’s passion for it. Micah grew up in Michigan, where winter was a thing that happened and there were sports that included ice and snow. Ty grew up on the coast of South Carolina, where winter was a thing that happened in movies and was spoken about in hushed whispers lest the residents accidentally call down a flurry. Settling in DC had been an adjustment for them both.
    “I’m glad you’re excited,” Ty said diplomatically. He was excited too, but for a totally different reason.
    “Have I mentioned you’re the best boyfriend?” Micah said again as the seats filled up around them and the time neared for the game to start.
    “You have, but I could stand to hear it more.”
    Micah knocked into Ty’s shoulder. “Again later.”
    The buzz inside the arena was electric, and Ty felt out of place in his generic jeans and sweater while everyone else sported team clothing. He thought about buying a scarf, if only to fit in, but the thought skittered away after the anthem was sung and the puck dropped.
    Ty knew a little about the game from watching Micah play for years, so he was fairly certain things weren’t quite going the way the fans wanted. When the Hurricanes scored in the first few minutes, the disappointment in the stands was palpable, the enthusiastic hum dying away within seconds. Micah clapped and leaned forward, hands on his knees.
    “We’ll get that one back, boys. We’ll get it back.”
    Ty reached over and squeezed Micah’s shoulder.
    A few seconds later, the Hurricanes scored again.
    Then again.
    And again.
    It was possibly the most painful twenty minutes of hockey in the history of the game.
    Ty was in a nightmare. That was the only explanation. He was living out a nightmare where he would never be engaged. Ever.
    At the end of the first period, the Hurricanes had scored four and the Caps had only taken a few shots.
    Micah’s eagerness was gone. His team spirit was in the gutter.
    This was not going well.
    “Are you hungry?” Ty asked as the Zamboni cleared the ice. “Thirsty? Need the bathroom? Ready to leave?”
    Micah shot him a dark look at that.
    Fuck .
    Crossing his arms, Micah slouched in his seat and glared at the world underneath his knit hat.
    And this, ladies and gentleman, was not the story Ty wanted to tell his children. And during the second period, when the Hurricanes slapped another shot into the back of the net and Micah’s face clouded over like a sullen child’s, Ty had the sudden and horrible thought that if he tried to propose within the next fifteen minutes, Micah might say no.
    Terror seized in his chest.
    Why had he never thought of that? Ty hadn’t considered Micah might say no. It was always a yes. But fuck, if the Caps didn’t do something to…. Okay, there was literally nothing they could do at this point to salvage the game or the proposal.
    Ty took a stuttered breath, the cold air of the arena biting into his lungs.
    He had to get that proposal from going up on the board. Soon. Like right the fuck now because the second period was going faster than the miserable first.
    “I’m going to the restroom,” Ty said in Micah’s ear. “I’ll be right back.”
    Micah shrugged.
    Ty stood and started to crawl over the other people in the row at a controlled, frantic pace. Once near the end, the aisle within a step, he caught his foot on the edge of the last chair and tripped. Ty went down hard, landing on his arm and his hip. It hurt, and there was no doubt it would bruise, but it wasn’t anything serious.
    “Ty!” Micah cried, jumping to his feet. The other spectators moved out of his way, and Micah dropped to his knees by Ty’s side.
    Ty lay sprawled across the stadium steps, embarrassed, hip and arm throbbing but not really injured. He had more concerns, like the fact